More Than Words
by Great White Snake
Summary: History is riddled with stories of men angering the heavens. This one is about Maia, a guidance spirit that showed the path to many Earth beings with the stars above them. But the times have changed, technologies have developed, Earth beings have evolved. No longer did they need the heavens to guide them home.
1. Act 1

_There was once a constellation the Celtic called "An Treoir"._

 _If you were lost and looked up at the sky, you could see the guiding fox lighting your way home._

 _There was once a constellation the Celtic called "An Treoir"._

 _But no longer is she there, no longer useful with the changing of times._

* * *

Slowly and reluctantly, Maia uncovered her face. She blinked, and blinked again. Everything was blurry. For a second, she didn't know where she was, how she got into that bed, or how she got into these clothes. Then, everything was processed. She was in her room. The thing above her was the ceiling. The thing on top of her was the duvet, underneath was the pillow and mattress. The thing she was wearing was a makeshift pyjama.

The girl sat up, but backed down immediately.

"Ugh, go away!" Maia groaned, pulling her thick blankets over her head.

The sun had finally woken up and it hissed at the girl's face as it shone through the small crack between her dark curtains. Why did school have to be during the day? Why couldn't it have been at night? Nighttime was so much nicer to an astral deity. Stars shone at night, and so did Maia. At least she used to.

Maia uncovered her face and glared at the curtains. Suddenly the small beam of sunlight shining between them was gone, the curtains shut. Slowly but surely, she sat up, dragged her feet off the bed, and rubbed her fingers onto her eyelids. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Maia watched her legs dangle above the off-white polyester carpet. Her pale skin was odd to her. Its softness was foreign. Every morning she'd wake up and contemplate how odd it was to be in a human body. She'd never get used to it. She'd never get used to the way her pale blue eyes stared back at her, or the way her ebony hair fell onto her shoulders. The sound of her voice was unnerving as well. She'd never had a voice until now.

"Maia, honey, you up?"

"Huh? What?" Maia said, snapping out of her daze.

Through the door came a tall, red-haired woman with smiling blue eyes. Maia made a note in her head about how she looked way too happy for her own good.

"Still staring at your feet?"

"Um, yeah - yeah, why not? Fascinating things, feet," Maia said, a faint Irish accent on her tongue, looking from her mother to her feet.

"Well, don't stare at them for too long, you still have to eat breakfast before school. Don't wanna miss that."

Maia's mother left, as did the smell of her softly scented perfume, and the girl sighed.

"No... wouldn't want that..."

Maia heaved herself off the bed and kicked her door closed with her bare feet. She lumped over to the adjacent bathroom and washed her face in the sink, then applied a layer of kohl around her eyes. She stared at the heap of black hair on her head and decided to do nothing with it. It was messy, but her red roots were starting to show again so she didn't think it mattered much. Not until she dyed her hair again.

Feeling a little more refreshed, Maia went back to her room to change out of her pyjamas and into daytime clothing. Hopping on one foot as she tried to put her socks on, she exited her bedroom and went downstairs for breakfast where pancakes were waiting for her. She didn't eat any, instead heading towards the fruit bowl for a simple apple which she bit down on immediately.

"You've gotta eat more than that, Maia," her mother, Alice, said.

Maia took the apple out of her mouth and said, "Not hungry. See you, tonight."

She then grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder, munching on her apple. As she opened the door, Maia winced. The sunlight came all at once - not a steady dawn or a trickle of rays. It came like the switching on of search lights from a chopper, violent and harsh.

"Damn, I hate the sun."

Maia walked in Sunnydale like her mother drove her car - on autopilot. Had she been a country girl, or even a proper human, maybe the well worn graffiti and the plants that shot through every sidewalk crack would have an impact on her. But they didn't. She just walked. She walked as her hair fluttered in the air, her clothes clung to her body and moved with her, blue eyes looking straight ahead, a little squinted.

Maia stopped and stared at the school when she had reached it. Students poured in before the first bell, talking, laughing. They could be from anywhere in America, but for the extremity of their dress and the esoteric mania of their slang. This was way too California. Maia rolled her eyes at all of it.

"Here we go again."

Maia made her way on campus, weaving through the crowd with her head down, trying to avoid any unnecessary conversations. Everyone's voices were so loud in her head, talking about their summer and new outfits to buy for certain guys. She was so focused on getting out of there and into a quiet classroom that she didn't even notice she was about to walk into someone until she did. Maia didn't focus on it too much, just another typical blonde valley girl at first glance. However, seeing her face somehow triggered something inside her. But she didn't dwell on it. Besides, Maia also had to avoid a skateboard. On it was none other than Xander Harris, dressed with the shaggy indifference common to most skateboarders. Bright in his own way and definitely funny, Xander was one of the few people Maia could stand being around.

"Coming through... coming through... not sure how to stop."

He was doing okay okay until he passed the valley girl just as Maia had - intrigued by her, he craned his neck to look at her, and nearly took a header. Maia saved him from falling however, by grabbing his arm with surprising strength, and he came to a stop just in front of their other friend Willow. She was shy, bookish, and quite possibly dressed by her mother. The intelligence in her eyes and the sweetness of her smile belie a genuine charm that was lost on the unsubtle high school mind, though not Maia's. It's certainly lost on Xander, but he did brighten considerably when he spotted her.

"Thanks for the save, kid," Xander says.

"Whatever," Maia said airily.

"And good to see you two - the two I wanted to see the most!"

"Really?" Willow said, her excitement at the sentiment sweetly pathetic and, typically, unnoticed.

"Yeah. You know, I kind of had a problem with the math."

"Which part?" Maia said as Willow was trying to hide her disappointment.

"The math," Xander said after a few seconds of hesitation. "Can you guys help me tonight? Please? Be my study buddies?"

"Well, what's in it for us?" Willow asked.

"A shiny nickel..."

"Money is a social concept that I do no believe in... only because it's painfully small," Maia said.

"Okay, Spock - forget the nickel."

"Well, do you have "Theories in Trig"? You should check it out," Willow said.

"Check it out?"

"From the Library, Xander. Where the books live?" Maia tried.

"Right, I'm there. See? I want to change."

Willow and Maia shared an unsure look and they all went inside to their lockers which were all nearby to one another. As Maia was opening her locker, she and the others were approached by Jesse. He was a little more awkward than Xander, if that was possible, and was unlikely to become a lady killer in his later years though he tried. Especially with Maia.

"Hey," he tried to say in a seductive tone.

"You sound constipated, Jesse. Stop trying so hard," Maia said truthfully.

"Hey, Jesse!" Xander called. "What's what?"

"New girl."

"New girl? There's a new girl?" Maia said.

"Yes, May. You just don't care enough about these things to remember that Willow told you about it," Xander said.

"Oh... Makes sense actually. So, new girl?"

"Yeah, do tell."

"Tell what?" Jesse said.

"So, what's the sitch? What do you know about her?" Xander asked.

"New girl?"

"Well, you're certainly a font of nothing," Maia commented with a sigh. "I only bumped into her and I could probably tell you more."

Everyone's eyes turned towards her.

"What?"

"Well, I mean, your observational skills are beyond reproach, May," Willow said. "I think we're all expecting a little information."

"Oh, well, I wasn't really paying much attention. I was more focused on Xander about to fall flat on his face, but -"

"Hey, I had everything under control."

"- but I can tell you she's blonde, got green eyes, was wearing something I'd never be caught dead in. She doesn't seem shy, just lost and a little overwhelmed, possibly confused as to why everyone is staring at her. And if you're a guy, you think she's cute. There's also something else that I can't quite put my finer on... Anyway, if you want anymore information I suggest you go ask her, yourself." There was half a second's pause. "Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to the library to get Xander's book because Lord knows he never will. I'll see you later in Chemistry."

Maia turned on her heel and walked away, hair swaying mid-back. And not knowing Maia had heard and rolled her eyes, Jesse had spoken:

"Did anyone else think that was hot?"

* * *

Maia enters the library, nearly slamming the door open like she owned the place. She'd always liked the library's elegance, it's dark wooden shelves and musty smell. She also enjoyed conversing with the librarian, Mr. Connors, but today he was nowhere to be found. Maia wandered around the entrance and looked around. On the check-out counter a newspaper was folded in half as if it was being read, the headline circled in red: LOCAL BOYS STILL MISSING. Underneath was a blurry picture of the three brothers that had gone missing quite recently. Maia's eyebrows furrow and she wandered further in.

"Mr. Connors?"

Just then Maia sensed something behind her and turned around abruptly. She was met with a middle aged man who was rather tall and was wearing way too much tweed, rimless glasses and oxfords. His bright blue eyes gave off a certain intensity, but the way he spoke made him come off as quite reserved.

"You're not Mr. Connors... Too British, not enough American."

"And you're trying to hide an Irish accent," the man said clearly, in a London accent.

"Fair enough," Maia said. "So where's Connors?"

"Gone, I'm afraid. I have been chosen by Mr. Flutie to be his replacement."

"Don't be insulted if I don't trust you, Mr. Flutie can't chose staff for shit. Have you met our gym teacher?"

"I have and it's not my place -"

"Yeah, you hate him too."

Maia went over to the bookshelves and stared at them, either horror-struck or pleasantly shocked.

"You moved things around."

"I did. I mean no disrespect to the previous librarian but -"

"This is organised like the books at Oxford. Did you go to Oxford?"

"Um, well, yes - yes, I did," the man said almost proudly.

"I like it," Maia said simply. "If there was one thing that bothered me about Connors was his filing system. I swear to you that he sorted biographies next to the poetry."

"That's an abomination!"

"I know. And he didn't even sort them alphabetically, he sorted them by serial number," Maia scoffed. "Who even does that?"

"A monster, really."

Both of them laughed and they stared at each other for a few seconds before Maia held out her hand for the new librarian to shake.

"Maia Hunter. Pleased to meet you."

"Rupert Giles. Likewise."

"Well, you'll be seeing quite a bit of me, Mr. Giles - I happen to be an avid reader. Speaking of which, where have you put the textbooks? I need to check out "Theories in Trigonometry" for a friend who avoids this place like the plague."

"First row to your left, third shelf down," Giles said, nodding his head to the appropriate location. "It's past the new Historical section."

"Thanks." The girl stopped in her tracks and spun around. "New? Historical? Do tell."

"Well, I used to be the curator of the British Museum and -"

"The British Museum?"

"Yes, the one and only. So, I decided to take with me a few historical volumes and biographies."

"You are something else, Mr. Giles."

"I will take that as a compliment," Giles said with a small chuckle.

Maia then calmly went over to the first row, running her fingers along the spines of the books, looking at the titles and seeing them all alphabetized, until she found the right one and checked it out.

"You've got this for two weeks, don't be late," Giles said.

"I doubt I will. You'll probably see me tomorrow, or even later today." Maia smiled and backed away. "Go dtí an chéad uair eile."

"What?" Giles said, obviously confused. "Is that Irish?"

"Yes it is," Maia said, her back now against the library doors.

"And what does it mean?"

"Until next time."

Maia smiled and exited the library, smile fading once she began meeting people.

"What a peculiar girl."

* * *

Maia glared at the sun as she and Willow ate their lunches on school grounds, sitting beside the fountain - Maia eating some mystery food, Willow eating a nice, healthy packed lunch. The former took a forkful of a green puree, looked at it then Willow's lunch, sighed and then plopped it back onto her plate. Just then, a lunch similar to Willow's popped up in front of her face.

"I figured you get cafeteria food and be disappointed again," Willow admitted. "I packed an extra lunch for you."

"What would I do without you, Willow?"

"Probably die of malnutrition."

"Fair enough."

"Um, hi. Willow, right?" a voice suddenly said.

Both Willow and Maia looked up to see the new girl standing in front of them. She did in fact have green eyes and blonde hair, but she also had a very natural makeup scheme going on which surprised Maia. From what she was wearing, she had assumed her to be a valley girl. There was still something off about her, something tingling like a spidey-sense in the back of Maia's mind.

"And Maia, by the way."

"Why? I mean, hi. Did you want me to move?" Willow asked.

"I hope not."

"Why don't we start with 'hi, I'm Buffy.'" the girl said, and sat by Willow.

"Buffy?" Maia muttered to herself. "I've heard that name somewhere..."

"And let's segue directly into me asking you two for a favour. It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve you hanging out me for a while."

"But aren't you... hanging with Cordelia?"

"Ew, Cordelia? You've stooped that low?" Maia said.

"I can't do both?"

"Not legally," Willow said.

"Look, I really want to get by here. New school... Cordelia's been really nice -"

"To you anyway," Maia noted.

"- but I have this burning desire to not flunk all m classes, and I heard a rumour that you two were the people to talk to if I wanted to get caught up."

"Oh, we could totally help you out! If you have sixth period free we could meet in the library -"

"- or not. Or, you know, we could meet someplace quieter. Louder! That place kinda gives me the wiggins."

"It has that effect on most people. I love it, though. It's a great collection which has been properly organized by the new librarian. He's cool. First time Flutie hired someone decent."

"He's new?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, he just started," Maia said, getting a little excited. "He was the curator of the British Museum, and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies and oh, did I mention he went to Oxf-"

"May?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Spock geeking out over something genius-y again?" Xander said, arriving with Jesse. Maia's face immediately went impassive.

"Shut up, Harris."

"You too, Hunter," Xander said. "Anyway, you guys busy? Can we interrupt? We're interrupting."

"Hey," Buffy greeted with a smile.

"Hey there," Jesse said.

"Buffy, this is Jesse, and that's Xander," Willow said.

"Oh, me and Buffy go way back. Old friends, very close. Then there was that period of estrangement, I think we were both changing as people, but here we are and it's like old times, I'm quite moved."

"Is it me, or did you just turn into a babbling idiot?" Maia said, a questioning look on his face.

"It's not you."

"It's nice meeting you guys... I think," Buffy said.

"Yeah, you say that now."


	2. Act 2

I think you're about to regret knowing us, in the next five seconds," Maia said, noticing something in Xander's hand.

Buffy looked at Maia confused, wondering why she'd say something of the sort. The valley girl would eventually get used to it if she stuck around for more than just catching up in school; Maia was a little bit like Xander in the sense that they both liked to mess with people. Therefore, making her nervous, scared or weirded out just for fun was one of Maia's go-to pass-times. It helped that she was a natural at it, being the mischievous guide fox that she is.

"What do you mean?" Buffy said, looking at everyone.

"Well, we wanted to welcome you, make you feel at home," Jesse said.

"And to return this," Xander said, holding a sharpened stick of wood - most people call that a stake.

Maia's eyebrows furrowed. Odd feeling in the back of her mind? Stake? School staff that is actually cool for once? Something was definitely up, and this Buffy Summers girl was jammed right in the middle of it all, for sure. Maia knew it. She just had to figure out what.

"The only thing I can figure is that you're building a really little fence," Xander said, commenting about the stake.

"Oh, no. No, that's for self-defense. Everyone has one in L.A. Pepper spray is so passe.

"Let's say I believe you," Maia said.

"So. What do you like, what do you do for fun, what do you like in a man? Let's hear it."

"If you have any dark, painful secrets that we could publish..." Maia added to Xander's statement.

"Gee, everyone wants to know about me." She shifted on her spot. "How keen."

"Well, not a lot happens in a one-Starbucks town like Sunnydale. You're big news," Xander admitted. "Biggest news since May kicked tucker across the soccer field in the third grade."

"Hey, he was asking for it. No one tells me I'm dumb and lives to tell the tale."

"I'm not big news, really," Buffy insisted.

"Are these people bothering you?"

The annoying voice belonged to Cordelia Chase, resident bitch of Sunnydale High School. She'd appeared behind Jesse, her face full of disdain.

"Oh! No. They aren't bothering me," Buffy said.

"She's not hanging out with us," Willow said in her defense.

"Hey, Cordelia," Jesse said, smitten with yet another girl.

"Oh, please." She turns to Buffy. "I don't want to interrupt your downward mobility. I just thought I'd tell you that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with chest hair, because gym has been canceled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker."

"What?" Buffy and Maia said simultaneously.

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked.

"Some guy was stuffed in Aura's locker."

"Dead?" Maia asked.

"Yes, you freak."

New Librarian? Stake? Weird feeling? Dead guy in a locker? New kid? Something was going on and Maia needed to find out. She knew it wasn't something... normal, but she couldn't just tell everyone she was a deity and knew that vampires and demons exist-

"Slayer..." Maia breathed, looking straight at Buffy who turned towards her, a panicked look in her eyes.

"So not just a little dead, then?" Xander asked.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Cordelia asked.

"If you need a shoulder to cry on, or just to nibble on -"

"How did he die?" Buffy interrupted Jesse.

"I don't know..."

"Well, were there any marks?"

"Morbid much? I didn't ask!" Cordelia said, grossed out.

"Uh, look, I gotta book. I'll see you guys later," Buffy said then got up and left.

"What's her deal?"

"Don't know - I'm following her," Maia said.

"May, you don't -"

But Maia was already gone, following Buffy as she weaved through the crowd of people on her way to gym's locker rooms. Outside the locker rooms, Buffy approached the doors but Principal Flutie came out and caught her before she could enter. They had a brief conversation in which the principal nearly accused her of committing the crime or having something to do with it, but then Buffy dashed off. Maia followed her outside to the side of the gymnasium where a door lead inside. Buffy tried the door to find it lock, but with one tug she ripped the door open, splintering the lock.

"Definitely, Slayer..." Maia mumbled to herself.

With one last look around, Buffy entered the gym. Maia followed her movements and followed her in, trying not be detected, but having hyper-awareness of her surroundings helped a lot with that. Buffy approached the body laid out underneath a blanket and Maia watched from a few feet away, as silent as a fox. The blonde hesitated, as if she was sure she wasn't going to like what she was going to see, but pulls the blanket away from the corpse's head and shoulders. Buffy examines his neck and from a distance, Maia saw two big bite marks on the side of the man's neck.

"Vampire..."

Maia has said that louder than she'd anticipated. Suddenly, Buffy turned around and spotted her spy. Maia's eyes widened, like a deer in the headlights, and she immediately dashed for the exit. She didn't look back, especially when she turned a corner. Instead, she concentrated on her surroundings and found a quicker way to get to where she wanted to go. Maia pulled up the sleeves to her jacket and jumped up at the building wall, climbing on the uneven bricks until she reached the roof. And then she ran over nearly the entire length of the school before she spotted the skylight that allowed light to penetrate the library. She unlocked it, sat on the ledge and let herself plummet down to the floor, landing directly in front of the banister of the balcony. As she stood up, she saw the librarian staring at her wide-eyed and in a stupor, glasses slowly being removed from his face as he concentrated on the scene before him.

"'Ello!" Maia said, comically cheerful.

"You just came from the skylight..." Giles stated.

"Indeed I did. You wouldn't happen to know anything about a Slayer being in town, would you Mr. Giles?"

Maia began walking through the aisles of books, looking at the new titles Giles had brought from England.

"See, number one, it's odd that Flutie hired someone that I instantly like aka. you. Yes, that's a compliment," Maia said, a little absent-minded. "Two, Buffy carries a stake around. And three, well, I mean there's a dead guy in the locker room with two puncture wounds in his neck." Maia removed a book from the shelf and began leafing through it. "So either someone likes to get real kinky in the locker rooms, or there are Vampires in Sunnydale because Little Miss Sunshine is here, followed by you."

Suddenly the doors slammed open and in walked Buffy, highly irritated.

"Okay, so what's the sitch?" she asked.

"Sorry?" Giles said.

"It's Californian-Teen for 'what the bloody hell is going on?'"

"Ah."

"You heard about the dead guy in the locker, right?" Buffy asked.

"Well, yes. Miss Hunter has just informed me."

"Well, it's the weirdest thing. He's got two little holes in his neck and all his blood's been drained. Isn't that bizarre? Plus, she was there spying on me and how the hell did you get here before me?"

"Climbed. Got in through the skylight," Maia stated.

Buffy stared expectantly between Giles and Maia.

"Aren't you just going 'Ooooh...?'"

"I was afraid of this," Giles said.

"Well, I wasn't! It's my first day. I was afraid that I'd be behind in all the classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I'd have last month's hair."

"Who cares about that?"

"I do! And I didn't think there would be vampires on campus!" Buffy paused. "And I don't care!" she added.

"Then why are you here?" Giles asked.

Buffy stopped for a moment.

"To tell you that I don't care. Which I don't. And to tell you to stop stalking me, and... I've told you. So bye."

She starts to leave, maybe a little unsatisfied with her exit, as if it wasn't dramatic enough.

"Will he rise again?" Maia asked.

"Who?"

"The dead guy."

"No, he's just dead," Buffy confirmed.

"Can you be sure?" Giles asked.

"To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood and then you have to suck their blood, it's a whole big sucky thing. Mostly they'll just take all your blood and then you just die - why am I still talking to you?"

"You have no idea what's going on do you?"

"Wait, there's more to this?" Maia asked.

"Yes, there is." Giles turned back to Buffy. "Do you think it's a coincidence, your coming here? The boy was just the beginning."

"How very ominous..."

"Oh, why can't you leave me alone?" Buffy said as she turned away to leave.

"Because you're the Slayer..." Maia said and Buffy stopped. She had no comeback. Giles walked after her. "'Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl, in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the -"

"- the strength and skill to hunt vampires. The stop to the spread of their evil blah, blah, I've heard it, okay?" Buffy finished.

"I don't understand this attitude. You've accepted your duty, you've slain vampires before -"

"Well, I have both been there and done that," Buffy interrupted Giles. "And I am moving on."

"What do you know about this town?" Maia asked.

"It's two hours on the freeway from Neiman Marcus."

"Dig a bit in the history of this place and you'll find there've been a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences," Giles said. "I believe this is a center of mystical energy. Things gravitate toward it that you might not find elsewhere."

"Like vampires."

Buffy tried to move past him but he pulled a book off a shelf and handed it to her. The weight of it made her arms sink down. He continued to pull more off, piling them up in her arms. At this point, Maia was just listening to Giles speak. She wanted to soak up as much information as possible.

"Like werewolves. Zombies. Succubi, Incubi... Everything you ever dreaded under your bed and told yourself couldn't be by the light of day."

"What, did you send away for the Time Life series?" Buffy asked sarcastically.

"Uh, yes," Giles admitted.

"Did you get the free phone?"

"The calendar."

"Cool." There was a short pause. "Okay, first of all, I'm a vampire slayer. Secondly, I'm retired. Hey, I know! Why don't you kill them?"

"I'm a watcher. I haven't the skill," Giles said.

"And I'm... me," Maia said, not sure of her capabilities about coming up with a decent response.

"You climbed a wall and jumped through a skylight. A stake through the heart, a little sunlight - you could do that in your sleep."

"Civilians stay civilians," Giles said pointing to Maia. "Slayers slay. The Watcher -"

"Watches?" Buffy said.

Maia missed a part of their conversation as she sensed something move behind them. Someone was in the library. The abrupt movement that her head made didn't go unmissed by Giles however. Though Buffy seemed to be too preoccupied with complaining about her Slayer duties to notice any of that. Suddenly the movement stopped and Maia's eyebrows furrowed. She returned to the conversation.

"- Having to spend all my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because it might 'endanger' them? Go ahead. Prepare me."

Buffy kept quiet for a few seconds, staring at Giles, then she exited the library. Giles followed after her, and Maia followed after him but not before looking back at the library before leaving. Who was in the library?

"It's getting worse," Giles called.

Buffy stopped and turned. There were people about so they were forced to whisper.

"What's getting worse?"

"The influx of the undead, the supernatural occurrences. It's been building for years and now... There's a reason why you're here, and there's a reason why it's now."

"Because now is the time my mom moved here," Buffy said.

"Something is coming. Something is going to happen here soon," Giles warned.

"Gee, can you vague that up for me?"

"As far as I can tell, the signs point to a crucial mystical upheaval very soon - days, possibly less."

"Come on. This is Sunnydale. How bad an evil can there be here?"

And with a roll of her eyes, Buffy sauntered off, her blonde hair swaying just under her shoulders. Maia watched her leave. She was the Slayer? How could a little valley girl have the strength and skill to kill vampires and demons? Maia was a powerful deity, but at least she looked mean enough to convey a certain amount of power. Buffy? She looked almost like a fragile little Barbie doll.

"You came in through the skylight..."

Maia turned back to Giles who was staring at her with a mixture of curiosity, fear and maybe a little bit of frustration.

"About that -"

"You and I need to have a talk, Miss Hunter."

"Yes, sure, of course, but not now." Maia said. "I have trigonometry in like ten minutes and my class is at the other end of the school - but it's my last class of the day and I can stop by after."

"Very well," Giles said. "3:30pm, the library. Don't be late."

Maia saluted lazily.

"Sir, yes, sir?"


	3. Act 3

Thank god the bell rang and Willow, Xander and Maia were permitted to leave the hell that was trigonometry. The halls were crowded with people, and the chaos was so perfect, nearly like a movie, with the hundreds of dull voices drumming in Maia's head. The trio stopped at their nearby lockers to pack their bags.

"Hey, wanna hit the Bronze tonight?" Xander asked, slamming his locker door shut.

"That's a great idea, Xander!" Willow said. "We could even invite Buffy to go with us!"

"May, you in?"

Maia slammed her locker door shut and turned towards them.

"Sorry, I gotta bail for now - gonna go to the library and learn some more about Mr. Giles," she said. "I'll meet up with you if I have time."

"Oh, tell me everything, okay?" Willow asked, smiling.

"Yes, ma'am."

The monotone buzz of several-hundred voices hummed like an orchestra of deadbeat droids. The only voices that prevailed over them were those of Cordelia Chase, talking about the walking fashion disaster that was Willow Rosenberg, and Jesse, trying to woe yet another girl. Someone tried to talk to her, but she glared at them and kept walking. It was only as she pushed open the doors of the library that her desired silence welcome her with open arms.

"Ah, finally some quie- "

Suddenly, a loud crash resonated from inside the library. Maia rushed in to find Mr. Giles sitting at the bottom of a ladder, a few boxes of books scattered around him.

"Mr. Giles!" Maia gasped, running over to him and helping the man up. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm quite all right," he said. "I simply lost my footing."

Maia looked at the ladder.

"Nah, I think the ladder lost it's footing." She pointed to its base. "Uneven floors."

Giles began picking up all the books that had fallen and Maia helped him out, looking at all the titles of the books that he was putting in the book locker.

"The Pagan Rites? Legends of Vishnu? Wow, you've got the Writings of Aurelius?"

"Yes, I brought them with me from London," Giles answered, taking the books from her and putting them in their rightful places.

Maia wandered over to the table in the center of the library and sat down on its edge. She looked down at her feet again, fascinated once more about the movement of her human limbs. Giles snapped her out of her daze by sitting beside her. Neither of them spoke. Maia knew he had quite a few questions in his head, she could almost hear them.

"Why do you do that?" Giles asked.

"Do what?" Maia asked, looking up at the man, confused.

"Look at your legs so intensely."

"They fascinate me."

"You realize they're just legs, that you've had them your entire life?"

"No, I haven't."

Maia looked back down at her limbs and held out her hands in front of her face. She sighed.

"You know, I don't know why I should be telling you this," Maia said, standing up.

"Because as far as I can see, you aren't human," Giles said. "And as a Watcher, I need to be sure you aren't a threat."

"A threat? Okay, so I climbed a wall and jumped into a building via a skylight - so what? Trust me, if I was some demon and I wanted to do someone harm, I'd have done it by now and you know it." Maia turned back towards him, hands in her pockets. "Look, you seem like a smart man... Do you honestly think that I'd hurt someone like that?"

Giles looked at her, blue eyes meeting blue. Her eyes were intense, and unlike the rest of her which wasn't all that expressive, her eyes were so captivating you swear you could just dive right into them. Every tendril of various shades of incandescent striking blue staying lined up next to one another making her eyes themselves seem like the ocean, as if the sea was eternally raging on. Her fears, sadness, weakness, everything were trapped in those eyes as she nearly pleaded Giles to believe her. And then there was the occasions she smiled.

"No," Giles sighed. "You don't seem like the type."

"Well..." Maia let out a sigh of relief. "Glad we got that over with. Happy to know you aren't going to ask your little Slayer to hunt me."

"Can I ask you something, Miss Hunter?"

"Please, start calling me Maia. You're going to see me too often not to."

"Very well... Maia."

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" she said, deadpan. "Now, ask away."

"Who - or what - are you?" Giles asked.

That was one question she didn't want to have to answer, ever. But because there was a Slayer in town, everything was going down hill. Was it too much to ask that Maia have a normal life? A life with her friends Willow and Xander, without her butting in? Now she even had to tell the librarian, who was also a Watcher, that she was in fact the Celtic deity An Treoir, a fox spirit guide? It was her first day of her last year in high school, it was supposed to be peaceful. Why did she have to be stuck in the body of a girl from Sunnydale?

"Fuck me..." Maia muttered to herself. She then gestured at herself. "What you see here is Maia Hunter. Seventeen years old, great student... but that's not me."

Giles' eyebrows furrowed and he edged forward in curiosity.

"I'm not human, like you said. I'm... technically I'm a deity."

"Excuse me?"

Maia held up a finger and dashed over to the historical section of the library, most of the books being new and brought by Giles. She ran her fingers across the spines, eyes scanning the titles until she spotted something familiar. She went back to Giles.

"The Mabinogion?" Giles said, puzzled.

"I'm Irish, remember?" Maia said, leafing rapidly through pages of the ancient book. "Ah, here it is: 'Mae'r seren mwyaf disglair pan gollodd, bydd y Canllaw yn arwain chi adref yn ddiogel ac yn ddianaf. Manteisio ar ei, a bydd Seren yn eich arwain yn bell o'r aelwyd.'"

"I speak Sumerian, not Welsh, Maia."

"Oh, right, sorry. It roughly translates to: 'The brightest star when lost, The Guide will lead you home safe and unharmed. Take advantage of her, and Seren will lead you far from the hearth.'" Maia stated. "The Guide, in Irish is- "

"An Treoir," Giles said.

"I thought you didn't speak, Irish."

"I don't, but I'm familiar with the tale. The story of The Guide is a famous Celtic myth where the fox constellation An Treoir guides the lost with the stars. The legend states that if you anger her by using her guidance for the wrong reasons, she will project herself down on Earth in the form of a fox named Seren and lead you astray. Usually until you are lost beyond the map of the stars." Giles removed his glasses, and stared at Maia. "Are you telling me that you're An Treoir?"

"I'm more like Seren, but yes."

"But - but... how? Why?"

Maia stared at her hands and wiggled her fingers as she contemplated them.

"My mother thinks I'm her seventeen year old daughter, when in reality I've been on Earth for over two thousand years," Maia said. "I left the stars because I was useless. I mean, everyone's got compasses and maps and other stupid devices now... they didn't need me. So I went to live amongst you to see how you were fairing without me. Funny thing is that, since I didn't leave as an astral projection - as Seren - but as the deity itself, I can't return."

"You're trapped here..."

"I can skip from host to host, but I like Maia. So, I will age with this body until it attains it's peak, then it'll stop. Even in this form I've still retained most of the capacities of the deity."

"Like what?"

"I'm sure noticed me turn my head quite abruptly earlier today," Maia admitted. Giles nodded. "There was someone in the library. They'd moved."

"You heard them?"

"More like sensed him. It's kind of like a spidey-sense." Giles blankly stared at her. "Spider-Man? Comic book character from the sixties? Never mind.

"Anyway, so I've retained my hyper-awareness as well as most of my heightened senses and capabilities, as well as a few other things - nothing... inherently harmful."

"Inherently harmful?" Giles said in a questioning tone.

Maia sighed and sat back down next to the librarian, once again staring at her legs.

"As I'm sure you are aware, the fox is a very spiritual animal. In certain spiritualities, like for the Native Americans, foxes are associated certain abilities."

"Well, yes. In most Native American stories the fox is said to be capable of dreamwalking, distorting reality, shapeshifting, and quite a few other things," Giles said. "Does this apply to you?"

Maia nodded.

"Well, while not inherently harmful, those abilities can prove to be troublesome, considering the fox is also a symbol of mischief."

"Trust me, the only mischief I'm into is telling my mother I'm off studying at Willow's when I'm actually at the Bronze," Maia said with a dry chuckle. "And that's the only mischief I intend on getting into."

"Pardon?"

"Look, if it had been just you here, I would have gotten into a whole bunch of mischief. But now there's a Slayer, and I've heard too much about them to not take them seriously - I don't want to be a target, Mr. Giles. Besides, Willow and Xander might be extraordinarily normal, but I'm happy with that."

"But I could tell Miss Summers to exclude you from her Slaying-"

"You saw her. Do you really think she'll listen to you?"

"But you know about all this! Your knowledge might come in handy when-"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I want a peaceful life. And that'll be hard enough to have with a Slayer running around town." Maia got up and collected her bag. "I'll still be here to read and pester you about new books, but I'm afraid I won't be any help to you when it comes to Vampires and Demons." She sighed. "Have a good evening, Mr. Giles."

"Likewise," Giles said, disappointment in his voice.

* * *

Under the moonlight the avenue lay still. The heat of the day had been replaced by a cool breeze and Maia sauntered under the trees with a jacket dangling from her arm. She moved between the pools of streetlight, feet silent on the sidewalk. A pair of headlights came bouncing over the hill, blinding her temporarily before passing and disappearing. The Bronze would already be packed with her friends and she was eager to get there. A live band, soft lighting and jokes so stupid they were brilliant. But before Maia could get there, she had to go through "the bad side of town". It frightened no one, really. Especially not the deity that had seen Demon dimensions by the dozen.

Though Maia sensed something as she approached the Bronze. She stopped and turned slowly. A figured stood in the dark behind her. He was far away enough that she didn't feel the need to say anything to them. The figure didn't move - Maia couldn't see their face but it seemed as though they were looking at her. Maia turned to leave and the figure followed. The girl sensed his movements so she turned a corner and into an alleyway, moving faster. The figure still followed, always at a discreet distance. Maia looked around her and, thinking quickly, she swiftly climbed up a stack of crates and crouched down, looking down at the low-lit street.

Moments later, the figure turned into the seemingly empty alley and started down it. Maia suddenly dropped down on him, legs locked over his neck. She threw herself back, tipping him over, rolling herself and slamming his body on the ground. He's quickly on his feet, but Maia grabbed him and threw him against a wall.

"Now that's no way to greet an old friend," a male voice said sounding faintly amused.

Maia froze. She recognised that voice. Instead of taking a step back, she closed in. The figure made no move to attack. Instead, he put up his hands. And then she saw him and her eyes widened in fear. Strikingly handsome, with intelligence and a kind of distance in his eyes, Maia's worst fear stood before her, almost like a nightmare.

"Angelus..." Maia whispered, backing away slowly.

"Angel, actually," he replied with a small smile. It sent shivers down Maia's spine.

"Oh, you're reformed. Angelus is gone. Say hi to Angel, right?" She was so scared she was no longer capable of hiding her accent; vowels were softened, consonants were hardened, her speech more musical. "You're fucking crazy if you'd think I'd believe that after what you've done."

"Seren-"

"Don't. Don't you dare call me that. You've got no right."

"Isn't that your name. What your friends call you?"

"No, and even if it was, you aren't my friend." Maia back away. "I'm leaving. Stay away from me and my friends."

"You really think that's an option? You're standing at the mouth of Hell. And it's about to open." Angel reached into his coat for something, and Maia took a step back. But it was only a jewelry box, which he threw at her. "Don't turn your back on this. You've got to be ready."

Maia opened the jewelry box. It was an antique silver cross on a gold chain. She snapped it shut and threw it back to him.

"I don't need it. I've got my own." She turned and walked away. "Besides," she called, "who said I needed a vampire's help?"

"But the Harvest-"

"Fuck the Harvest. Go ask the Slayer for help if you really need it." Maia kept walking. "And stay away from me, you monster."


	4. Act 4

A decent crowd milled aimlessly around the Bronze, high school students and older. The place had an appealingly dive-like earthiness to it. There was no waiting in line for the bouncer to decide whether you were cool or not; those that were in line waited only to pay the four dollars to get their hands stamped if they were old enough to drink.

Maia moved up the line, scanning the crowd for a familiar face, and trying to forget the encounter she'd just had. Angelus in Sunnydale? Why was she so surprised. This was the Hellmouth after all. All sorts of things wandered here. But Angelus? That was one Vampire she could have done without for a few more centuries. And to think she was scared to the point her accent couldn't be hidden. Maia was sure he'd noticed that.

Maia was let into the club and she immediately began searching for Willow and Xander. The Bronze was dark, crowded and noisy. A fairly thrashsome band held the stage, blasting music that would cause major moshing in a rowdier crowd, which surprisingly didn't include Maia considering the way she was dressed. There was a coffee bar in the back where both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks were served, and a balcony above overlooked the dance floor and housed tables for two.

Maia noticed Willow and Buffy at the coffee bar, chatting, so she decided to take the long way there. She was in no way eager to see Buffy the Vampire Slayer again. Especially after their last meeting and the recent discovery of Angelus in Sunnydale. On her way towards them, Maia efficiently avoided a dance with Jesse by sending him towards Cordelia, and noticed an odd presence in the club. She made her way up the stairs to the balcony and stood beside someone, leaning on the railing that overlooked the stage.

"So the librarian likes to get his party on with the students, huh? Isn't that some kind of illegal?"

"Right. This is me partying, having fun," Giles said witheringly. "Watching clown-hair prance about is hardly my idea of a party. I'd much prefer to be home with a cup of bovril and a good book."

"Couldn't agree more."

"This is a perfect breeding ground for Vampire activity. Dark, crowded… Besides, I knew you and Miss Summers were likely to show up. And I have to make you two understand -"

"Hellmouth. I know."

Giles and Maia both look down at the floor for a moment, at the dancing kids that had no idea what was underneath their feet.

"Mr. Giles?"

"Please, we aren't at school. It's simply Giles. No calls me Rupert anyway."

"Rupert..." He chuckled faintly. "Before I got here, I met someone. Someone I didn't want to meet. I figured I should tell you."

"If it's troubling you, do tell," Giles said, looking concerned.

"On my way to the Bronze, An-"

"Do you always party with the students? Kinda skanky if you ask me."

Both Giles and Maia turned to see Buffy staring them down.

"I've already explained that this isn't my idea of fun. I am merely here because this is the perfect breeding ground for vampires. I also expected you two to be here."

"Decided to convince us to deal with the Harvest?" Buffy said.

"The Harvest?"

"That mean something to you? 'Cause I'm drawing a blank."

Maia drowned out the rest of their bickering. She simply looked back at the blissfully unaware crowd. She saw Jesse get shot down by Cordelia. The band threw something into the crowd and it landed on a girl. She then proceeded to throw whatever hit her back at the singer. Suddenly, Maia spotted an attractive young man talking with a girl she couldn't really see. But whatever he was wearing, wasn't of this decade. Immediately, Maia thought: vampire. And then she saw the girl he was with...

"Um, guys?" Maia said, voice shaky. "Willow's leaving with a vampire."

"What is she doing?" Giles said.

"Seizing the moment," Buffy replied.

"What?" Maia said, suddenly angered. "What did you tell her!?"

"I told her to stop worrying about guys laughing at her and to seize the moment. It's good advice if you ask me!"

"Not when you're at the Bronze in the middle of the night! You know, the obvious Vampire hot-spot!" Maia argued. "Could you be more blonde!?"

Buffy, Maia and Giles bolted down the stairs and followed Willow and the Vampire to the back door by the stage. But they disappeared. Maia looked about a moment and then Buffy, pushed the door open abruptly. It was dark there, and Giles stayed back after Buffy and Maia convinced him to. The hall was somewhat labyrinthian. Both girls moved slowly, cautiously. There was no one about. Maia found an old chair and snapped a leg off, making a makeshift stake. Buffy did the same. They both head for the exit door, and Buffy stuck her head out but there was no one there either. Heaving a sigh, Maia and Buffy head back towards the main door. Ahead, Buffy turned a corner and suddenly he's on her. Only it wasn't the vampire. Instead, Buffy had tackled Cordelia and held her two feet off the ground. Maia immediately dropped her stake. She rolled her eyes.

"Cordelia!" Buffy gasped.

"Excuse me... could you be any weirder? Is there more weirdness that you could have?"

Buffy let her down, lowering the stake. Maia suddenly came closer, pretending to have rushed over.

"Buffy! There you are!" she said.

"God, what is her childhood trauma?" Cordelia complained.

"Haven't the faintest. Sorry about her. I'll take her away."

"Did you guys see Willow? Did she come by here?" Buffy asked as Maia pulled her away.

"Why? Did you need to attack her with a stick, too?"

Maia glared at Cordelia who flinched back a little and pulled Buffy away and back to where Giles stood waiting.

"Is he dead?" Giles asked. "That was fast. Well done. I'd best go to the library. This "Harvest" is -"

"We didn't find them," Buffy admitted.

"The vampire's not dead?"

"No, but my social life is on the critical list."

"Get your priorities straight, woman! Willow's life is at stake here!" Maia shouted, though the loudness of her voice was mostly drowned out by the buzz of the Bronze. "Look, Slayer, you go slay. Rupert and I will go back to the library and look up this 'Harvest'."

"Rupert?"

"Go!"

"All right, all right. Don't get your panties in a wad."

Buffy left, brushing past Jesse and a few other people. Maia huffed angrily and started off towards the exit, Giles following in her wake. How could Buffy even think about her social life when Willow's life was in danger? How could Willow's life be in danger when Angelus was in town? God, Maia hated Hellmouths.

* * *

Surprinsingly, Buffy managed to get Willow away from both vampires. Unfortunately, Xander and Jesse also got caught up in the mess. However, Jesse didn't make it back with them. The way Buffy described both vampires didn't ring any bells with Maia, so at least there was just Angelus to worry about for now, that was unless Buffy's less than stellar description was, well, less than stellar.

It was almost morning now, and Maia and Giles had spent all night going through books trying to find anything about the Harvest. But that wasn't important at the moment. Right now, Buffy, Maia and Giles owed Willow and Xander an explanation for what had happened last night. Maia probably owed them the biggest explanation. She'd known them for all this time and said nothing? She doubted they were going to let that slip past them.

"This world is older than any of you know, and contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons, Demons walked the earth; made it their home... their Hell."

Giles was standing on the upper-level of the library, leaning on the railing. Willow and Xander were both sitting on the chairs facing the table while Maia was sitting cross-legged on it. The three kids were listening to Giles narrate his story.

"In time they lost their purchase on this reality, and the way was made for the mortal animals. For Man. What remains of the Old Ones are vestiges: Certain magicks, certain creatures..."

"And vampires," Buffy said, emerging from Giles' office, wrapping a bandage around her forearm.

Xander rose, agitated, and spoke, "Okay, this is where I have a problem, see, because we're now talking about vampires. We're having a talk with vampires in it."

"Ooooh, I need to sit down," Willow said.

"You are sitting down, Wil," Maia said softly.

"Oh. Good for me."

"So, Vampires are demons?" Xander asked.

"Not exactly." Maia leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "The books tell that the last Demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed - infected - by the Demon's soul. He bit another, and another... and so they walk the earth, feeding. Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out, and the Old Ones to return." Maia paused. "Most Demons actually view vampires as scum, half-breeds."

"And as long as there have been these Demons, these vampires, there's been a Slayer," Giles added.

"And what would that be?" Xander asked.

"One girl in all the world -"

"Ah, he loves doing this part," Buffy interrupted Giles.

"All right," he said, speeding up. "They hunt vampires, one Slayer dies, the next is called, Buffy is the Slayer, don't tell anyone. I think that's all the vampire information you need."

"Except one thing. How do you kill them?"

"You don't, Xander. She does," Maia said, nodding towards Buffy.

"Well, Jesse -"

"Is my responsibilty," Buffy interrupted. "I let him get taken."

"That's not true."

"If you hadn't shown up, they... they would have taken us too..." Willow said, breathless. "Does anyone mind if I pass out?"

"I do, now breathe," Maia said, stepping down and kneeling beside Willow.

"Breathe."

"Breathe... Do you mind if I do something to calm you down?"

Willow gave Maia the all-clear and so she placed both her hands on either side of Willow's head. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Suddenly, Maia's hands began to faintly shine a dull white and Willow began to calm down. A few seconds later, Maia muttered something and released her hold on Willow.

"Thank you," Willow said.

"Anytime."

"Also, what was that? What have you been hiding from us?" Xander complained.

"Xander calm down, she just showed me some soothing memories."

"With her magic glowy hands! Her hands were glowing, Wil!"

"Xander, I'm basically a benevolent spirit. I help people."

"Oh, well, that's - that's dangerous right? Stop soothing Willow you mean, mean spirit."

"Sorry, I didn't tell you guys," Maia said sadly. "I just didn't want you mixed up in all of this sh -"

"We talked about the language, May," Xander scolded.

"Yes, mum."

"Look, this is all real great, but there's Hellmouth stuff going on too," Buffy said. "This big guy, Luke, he talked about an offering to the Master. I don't know who or what, but if they weren't just feeding, Jesse may still be alive. I'm gonna find him."

"Wait, The Master? Buffy, he's the oldest and most powerful vampire in existence."

"This is probably a dumb question, but shouldn't we call the police?" Willow asked.

"Do you think they'd believe us?" Giles said.

"We don't have to say vampires. We could say there was... a bad man."

"They couldn't handle it even if they did come. They'd only show up with guns," Buffy said.

"You've got no idea where they took Jesse?" Maia asked Buffy.

"I looked around, but... soon as they got clear of the woods they could have just - whoom."

"They can fly!?" Xander gasped.

"They can drive," Maia and Buffy said simultaneously.

"Oh."

"I don't remember hearing a car..." Willow noted.

"Well, let's take an enormous brain leap and say they went underground," Maia said in a near-sarcastic tone.

"Vamps really jam on sewer systems," Buffy added. "You can get anywhere in town without catching any rays. I didn't see any access around there, though."

"Well, there's electrical tunnels. They run under the whole town," Xander said.

"If we had a diagnostic of the tunnel system, it might indicate a meeting place. I suppose we could go to the building commission -"

"We so don't have time," Buffy interrupted Giles. Again.

"Uh, guys? There might be another way..."

Willow immediately stood up and went over to the singular computer in the library. Giles visibly shuddered at it and Maia snickered. Willow began typing furiously on the keyboard after it had booted. Everyone gathered around her. Soon she had pulled up the city plans.

"This runs under the graveyard," she said, pointing on the screen.

"I don't see any access," Xander sighed.

"So all the city plans are just open to the public?" Giles asked.

"Uh, well, in a way. I sort of stumbled onto them when I accidentally... decrypted the city council's security system."

"Someone's been naughty," Xander said reprovingly.

"Don't ever say that again," Maia said, looking at Xander with a slightly disturbed look.

"There's nothing there. This is useless!" Buffy complained.

"I think you should ease up on yourself," Giles said.

"Yeah, Buffy, it's totally not your fault," Maia commented.

"Shut up, Maia. Look, Giles, you're the one who told me I wasn't prepared enough! Understatement. I thought i was on top of it, and then that monster Luke came out of nowhere -"

"Wait, Buffy!" Maia stood up and stood in front of her. "Vampires don't just come out of nowhere. Think. Where'd he come from?"

Buffy stopped, her face screwed up, trying to think. And then it came to her.

"He didn't come out of nowhere, you're right. He came from behind me," she said. "I was facing the entrance. He came from behind me and he didn't follow me out."

"The access tunnel is in the mausoleum," Maia and Buffy said in sync.

"Okay, stop doing that," Maia added.

"Not my fault," Buffy argued.

"Girls!" Giles said, interrupting. "Are you sure?"

"The girl must have doubled back with Jesse after I got out. God, I'm so mentally challenged!"

"Can't argue with that," Maia muttered.

"So, what's the plan? We saddle up, right?" Xander asked.

"There's no 'we', okay? I'm the Slayer, and you're not," Buffy insisted.

"I knew you were gonna throw that in my face."

"Hey, it's a good thing. Let the Slayer get killed. Better for us, you know, and our lives," Maia said.

"I'm inadequate. That's fine. I'm less than a man," Xander said.

"Buffy, I'm not anxious to go in a dark place full of monsters," Willow said, "but I do want to help. I need to."

"Then help me," Giles said. "Seems to be some sort of pre-ordained massacre. Rivers of blood, Hell on earth... Quite charmless. I am fuzzy on the details, however, and it may be that you can wrest some information from that dread machine... That was a bit British, wasn't it?" he added off their uncomprehending looks.

"Welcome to the new world," Buffy said.

"Well, I understood all of it," Maia commented, earning her a small smile from Giles. Maia smiled at everyone, a little smug.

"Willow, I want you to go on the net," Giles translated.

"Oh! Yeah, sure, I can do that," Willow said.

"Then I'm out of here," Buffy said, then turned to Willow, Xander and Maia. "If Jesse's alive, I'm bringing him back"

"Cool," Maia said. "I'm coming with."

"What? No!"

"What? Yes!" Maia said mockingly. "Look, in case you didn't notice, you're not the only one with super powers, here. Besides, I can't die."

Maia started to leave, but Giles stopped her.

"What do you mean, you can't die?"

"I can't die. Or at least if I can, I have no idea how," the girl said. "No one's ever been successful and people have really colourful ideas on how to kill things."

"Fine. Just don't get in my way," Buffy said.

"I won't if you don't get in mine."

"Girls? Do I have to tell you to be careful?"

Both Buffy and Maia looked at Giles for a moment. Then they left.


	5. Act 5

Maia took a deep breath and opened the front doors to the school. She had to cover her eyes for the sun light was too bright. Humidity encased her. The aggressive sounds of chirping birds was not pleasant in Maia's ears; she just wished that they'd shut up and go back to sleep. She wished the sun would go back to sleep. The air was heavy, not fresh like the night's air, and hard to breathe. Heat poured into Maia's veins as if pumped in through a hypodermic needle. It swirled in her brains and no matter how much came in, none of it seemed to escape. The air was like breathing liquid fire. Maia groaned. What was a nighttime deity doing out in broad daylight, anyway?

"Isn't it nice outside?" Buffy said, smiling.

Maia gave her a dumbfounded look. People who enjoyed sunlight this much were lost causes on her part. Nevertheless she followed her to the gates of the school, on their way out to find Jesse and the vampires. Maia stopped in her tracks however, sensing someone, and ducked behind a tree, leaving Buffy out in the open. She was about to drag her back with her when Maia muttered a few words and disappeared... kind of. Buffy looked down and saw a beautiful red fox. It almost looked like it was smiling at her.

"Really!?" Buffy said, exasperated.

"And where do we think we're going?" Mr. Flutie said, appearing behind her.

"We? I? Us? Me?"

"We're not leaving school grounds, are we?"

"No! I'm just... admiring the fence. This is quality fencework. Also, there's a fox there that's been following me, I was trying to get rid of it."

Mr. Flutie didn't even bother looking at where the fox stood. At this, the fox crawled under the fence and sat down, waiting for Buffy.

"Because if we were leaving school grounds on our second day at a new school after being kicked out of our old school for delinquent behaviour - do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Mr. Giles!" Buffy said suddenly.

"What?"

"He asked me to get a book for him. From the store 'cause I have a free period and I'm a big reader - did it mention that on my transcripts?"

"Mr. Giles," Mr. Flutie said almost agonizingly. He then shut the gate and continued speaking, "Well, maybe that's how they do things in Britain, they've got that royal family and all kinds of problems. But here at Sunnydale nobody leaves campus while school's in session. Are we clear?"

"We're clear," Buffy said.

"That's the Buffy Summers I want in my school. The sensible girl, with her feet on the ground."

Mr. Flutie smiled then left. Buffy grimaced at his back and, in one swift jump, was over the fence and walking alongside Maia, who was simultaneously shifting back into her human form. The red fur disappeared underneath her black hair dye and her eyes shifted from amber to bright blue. Front legs became arms, claws became nails. The fox's snout morphed into Maia's mouth and nose, the canine's teeth becoming those of a human, though they remained sharp and in a smile. Buffy would have been fascinated had she not been annoyed.

"So not funny," Buffy mumbled.

"You should have seen your face," Maia laughed, nearly bent over. "'There's a fox there that's been following me, I was trying to get rid of it'. That's a laugh. Flutie must have thought you were insane."

"I kinda hate you, right now."

"I do try."

It was a long and tense walk to the mausoleum where Buffy had last encountered the vampires that attacked her, Willow and Jesse. Gravestones lined the graveyard which was eerie even during the day. Some were recently placed, whereas others, were cracked and crumbling. Mould covered the engravings dedicated to the dead, trees were leaning towards the stones, branches reaching out to each other. Spiked, black fences surrounded the graveyard almost like it was a prison. The smell of old stone filled the dry air, weeds covering the graves of the dead, loved ones long since stopped visiting. Gravel paths wove through the maze of graves, allowing passers by to pay their respects to the people lined up in the earths embrace.

Inside the mausoleum however, it was just as dark as the night, but for the light coming from the doorway. It smelled musty and damp, the walls crumbing just as much as some of the gravestones outside. There were cobwebs stretching from either side of the small crypt and bugs crawling around the floor, much to Buffy's disgust.

"Now this is much better," Maia said in regards to the sunlight outside.

"Are you sure you're not a vampire?" Buffy said, looking at Maia contemptuously.

"I'm sure, but I wouldn't mind the housing arrangements. Sorry, I happen to be a constellation - I live at night?" Maia added off the look on Buffy's face.

Buffy reluctantly tipped her head in agreement and both of them made their way in cautiously, looking around. Maia suddenly sensed a presence, but the shadow gave up nothing. As Buffy tried to open the iron door on the other side, Maia turned around and gasped.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone," she said, making Buffy turn around. She didn't seem as startled as Maia, just curious.

"I don't suppose you've got a key on you?" Buffy said. "You know him? He's harassing you?"

"I'm not harassing her, she just doesn't like me," Angelus said. "Neither do they, down there."

"How could that possibly be?" Buffy said sarcastically.

Angel ignored the question. He took a small step forward, which made Maia take one back.

"I knew you'd figure out this entryway sooner or later. Actually, I thought it was gonna be a little sooner."

"I'm sorry you had to wait. Look, if you're gonna be popping up with this cryptic wise man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name?"

"Angel," Maia said disdainfully, Irish accent strongly present.

"Angel," Buffy said offhand. "It's a pretty name."

"Don't go down there," he said as Buffy began prying open the doors.

"Deal with our going," Maia said sternly.

"You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk. Tonight is the Harvest. Unless you can prevent it, the Master walks."

"If this Harvest thing is suck a suckfest, why don't you stop it?" Buffy said.

The unashamed openness of the statement caught both girls a bit off guard. Maia studied him for a moment, but she was interrupted by Buffy who had finally managed to kick open the door.

"They'll be expecting you," Angel said.

"We've got a friend down there - or a potential friend," Maia said. "Do you know what it's like to have a friend, Angel ?"

He didn't say anything.

"Figured."

"Was that supposed to be a stumper question?" Buffy asked in a tone only a dim-witted blonde could use.

"When you hit the tunnels, head east, towards the school," Angel said, ignoring both statements. "That's where you're likely to find them."

"You gonna wish us luck?" Buffy asked.

"We don't need his blessing, Buffy. Come on."

Buffy nodded and headed into the darkness of the tunnel. Maia stared at Angel for a few moments more, then disappeared after Buffy. The tunnels were dark, forbidding, and they ran in all directions. It wouldn't be hard to get lost in here. Both Buffy and Maia climbed down a ladder and dropped into a small puddle of dirty water. Maia looked around, her eyes immediately adjusted to the darkness. A rat scurried by their feet, but neither of the girls flinched at its sight. They started down a tunnel, moving slowly, the dark enveloping them.

People say the darkness "presses in," but it didn't. The darkness kissed your skin closer than a mother and whispered excitement into your ears. In these dark tunnels, if you were a regular human being, you were robbed of your eyesight, force to "see" the world with all of your other senses. You had to feel the ground with the soles of your feet, direct yourself by using your hands and smell the fresher air that came from above, signaling a way out. You had to -

"Hey!" Maia whispered crossly as Buffy turned on a flashlight. "I was having a great inner monologue about the darkness! Turn that thing off!"

"Could you get any weirder?" Buffy said snidely. "Besides, I can't see anything."

"I thought you were the Slayer."

"I am."

"Hmpf. Last Slayer I met, she didn't need her eyes to see."

Just as Buffy was going to protest, Maia turned around swiftly, sensing someone behind her. She thought it was Angel again, at first, but then Buffy's flashlight shone on a more welcomed face. Though it was still not very welcome in this situation.

"Did you see anything?" Xander asked.

"Xander!" Maia said, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"Something stupid. I followed you. I couldn't just sit around not doing anything."

"I understand," Buffy said. "Now go away."

"Jesse's my bud, okay? If I can help him, then that's what I gotta do."

Buffy and Maia looked at each other and sighed coming to an unspoken agreement.

"Fine, just don't get yourself killed," Maia said.

"Cool. Besides, it's either vampire hunting or Chem class."

"Oh, I feel you on that one."

Buffy, Xander and Maia continued journey through the dark tunnels. Buffy had finally turned her flashlight off, her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. However, that wasn't the only thing that would give away their position. Xander couldn't stop talking. Talking about anything. At least he was asking the important questions.

"So... How do you kill a vampire?"

"Fire, stake to the heart, beheading," Buffy said simply.

"And Holy water, garlic, crosses and certain spells will keep them at bay," Maia added.

"That's great. Of course, I don't actually have any of these things," Xander said.

"Good thinking," Buffy said as she handed him a cross.

"Well, the part of my brain that would tell me to bring that stuff is still busy telling not to come down here."

"Hey, there's still time to go back up."

"No way," Xander said. "So, what else?"

"What else, what?" Buffy and Maia said simultaneously.

"Seriously. Stop," Maia said.

"For vampire slayage."

"Not much. Pro tip: beheading is harder than it looks," Buffy said.

"So, you've done some beheading in your time," Xander said a little weakly.

"So have I," Maia said. Xander and Buffy looked at her oddly. "Well hey, I've been on earth for over 2000 years, can't expect me to not have beheaded some vampires. Oh, I was also there when they beheaded Marie-Antoinette and the King."

"There was this one time, I was pinned down by this vampire, he played left tackle for the varsity - I mean, before he was - well, anyway, he had one one those really thick necks and all I had was a tiny little Exacto knife - You're not loving this story," Buffy said off Xander's gape.

"Actually, I find it oddly comforting."

"And you said I was the weird one," Maia scoffed.

Maia then stopped walking, making everyone else do the same. She listened intently to the silence, looked around and smelled the air. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"What is it, Rover?" Buffy asked, sarcastic.

"I'm a fox, not a dog," Maia said, deadpan.

"Still, what is it, May?" Xander said.

"We're close."

"How do you know?"

"No rats. Air is less fresh."

Neither Xander or Buffy seemed to enjoy that information, but they said nothing. All three of them progressed down into the tunnels. Suddenly, Xander spotted something and pointed the flashlight at it. It was Jesse, laying down on the ground, inert. Buffy went forward, Xander keeping the light on her. She went over to the body and reached out. All of a sudden, Jesse jumped up, brandishing a pipe. He was about to smash her with it when Xander called out:

"Jesse!"

"Xander?" he said, amazed.

He dropped the pipe and the two friends hugged. Xander pulled away, looking him over. Maia looked him over as well. This was too easy. Something wasn't right. She had that feeling again. She sent a questioning look towards Buffy. She seemed to comprehend the message.

"Jesse, man, are you okay?" Xander asked.

"I'm not okay on an epic scale," Jesse said, indicating his leg - it had been chained to the wall. "We gotta get out of here!"

"It's cool. Buffy and May are superheroes."

The blonde "superhero" frowned at the chain and felt its weight. She then grabbed the pipe Jesse was holding and smashed the lock on his shackles. It wasn't a quiet operation.

"I think the whole city heard that," Maia said.

Suddenly, shadows moved on the other side of the tunnel.

"They knew you were gonna come," Jesse said. "They said that I - I was the bait..."

"Oh, now you tell us," Xander said, exasperated.

"Buffy," Maia whispered in the girl's ear. "I don't think Jesse is... Jesse."

Buffy's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?"

"No. No, I'm not. I know something's up, but my brain doesn't tell me what. Also," Maia said, glancing at Jesse, "he smells... different."

"Like... dead, different?" Buffy asked.

Maia indicated that she was unsure with a shrug of her shoulders. Buffy nodded and began leading everyone back through the tunnel. It as a maze, and it didn't take long for Buffy to get lost. Eventually she stopped, seeing shadows moving at the other end of the tunnel they were in. Maia had the strong suspicion they were circling them further into the tunnels.

"Jess, do you know another way out?" Xander asked.

"I don't, uh, maybe?" he said.

"Come on."

Maia stayed put for a few seconds, distrust nearly gleaming in her eyes. All her senses were telling her to trust her own sense of direction, but Buffy didn't hesitate in dragging her with them. When they came to a junction, they all paused, seeing eyes gleaming in the dark ahead. Whispered laughs drifted to them.

"Guys -"

"Wait, wait. They brought me through here!" Jesse called, interrupting Maia. "There's a way up... I hope."

Maia groaned as they took off again, ignoring her protests to stop and listen to her. Why wouldn't they? She was a guiding spirit. If someone would know their way out, it would be her. Instead, they ran in another direction, vampires slowly approaching behind them. Horror grew on their faces. There was no door. There was no exit.

"I don't think this is the way out," Buffy said.

"If you'd just listened to the guiding spirit, you wouldn't be here!" Maia shouted.

"We can't fight our way back through those things... what do we do?" Xander asked.

"I've got an idea..." Jesse said.

Everyone turned to him and immediately recoiled. His visage was grotesque: pronounced brow ridges, yellow eyes, elongated upper canines, and pointed upper incisors. Maia recoiled at the sight of him and his icy smile.

"... you can die."


	6. Act 6

Xander, Buffy and Maia back away from Jesse immediately. Both Buffy and Maia looked around seconds later, not sure what to do, but looking for a way out of this nonetheless. Unfortunately, Maia began hearing approaching vampires, seeing their moving shadows like ghosts upon the tunnel's walls.

"Jesse... Man, I'm sorry..."

"Sorry?" Jesse scoffed. "I feel good, Xander. I feel strong."

"Do you feel alive, though?" Maia said mockingly.

Buffy grabbed the door and tried to close it, but it was thick metal, rusted open.

"I'm connected, May. To everything. I can hear the worms in the earth."

"Well, that's a plus," Xander said sarcastically.

"I know what the Master want. I'll serve his purpose. That means you die, and I feed."

"Xander! The cross!" Buffy shouted.

Xander help up the cross in front of Jesse and he immediately recoiled, stopping in his tracks. The smile left his face. Buffy continued trying to open the door - it was beginning to budge, but coming down the hall are a handful of vampires, slowly, and grinning, sure of victory.

"Jesse. Man, we're buds. Can't you remember?" Xander tried.

"You're like a shadow to me now," Jesse said.

Xander moved forward, cross in hand and with a new sense of determination.

"Then get out of my face."

Jesse stumbled back, pissed. Xander backed him towards the door and May stuck her tongue out at him while Buffy continued to strain with the door. The vampires were fast approaching. All of a sudden, Jesse lashed out and knocked the cross from Xander's grasp. He grinned and then Buffy grabbed him suddenly from behind, hurling him out of the room, knocking the vampires over like bowling pins. May immediately went to the door and helped Buffy by kicking it shut. Buffy bolted the door closed.

"I can't believe it... we were too late," Xander said, out of breath.

A resounding thud shuddered the door. The vampires were going to break it down any minute.

"We need to get out of here," Buffy said.

"There is no way out of here!" Xander said, panicked.

"There's always a way out Xander," Maia said, closing her eyes. "Let me listen."

There was another thud and the door began to buckle on its hinges, but Maia used it to listen. If she concentrated enough, she could hear the thuds echo in the tunnels. This way, she could find her way to an exit. Wherever the sound stopped, there was an exit for the sound. She opened her eyes.

"We go up."

Xander and Buffy looked momentarily confused, but their gaze shifted upwards. You could see just a hint of an air vent's grating behind a metal sheet, high up in the shadows. Maia threw one of the junk pieces underneath it and stepped on top to reach the vent. She pulled away the metal sheet, revealing the grate; it was big enough to climb through. Maia began prying the grate open with her bare hands. There was another thud. Xander glanced nervously at the door. Suddenly, the door comes off enough that a vampire managed to stick his hand through and he began prying the door off. Just then, Maia ripped the grating loose and threw it aside.

"Come on! In the vent!"

Maia jumped up and grabbed the edges of the vent and pulled herself up into it. She began crawling, worming her way down. Occasionally she'd bang the sides and listen to the sound to remind her of the way. Soon, Buffy and Xander were following, but so were the vampires. Maia began going faster, and the air became fresher, they were almost there. They came to a wider space, with a ladder going up, and sunlight was pouring through the grating at the very top.

"Up!" Maia yelled as she began climbing the ladder.

Xander and Buffy were right at her heels, and the Vampires were at theirs. Maia made it to the top and opened the grating, climbing out as fast as she could. The street was deserted, and as Maia rolled onto her back, panting, Xander climbed out. He reached down to help Buffy, but she was only halfway up when a vampire grabbed hold of her ankle. Maia rolled off her back and reached down into the tunnel to grab the vampire's arm. She pulled it up into the sun and he screeched, releasing Buffy. She rolled out and slammed the grate shut and nodded to Maia in thanks.

All three of them simply laid there for a few moments, catching their breaths.

* * *

Maia, Buffy and Xander entered the library. They had scratches and bruises everywhere, dust covering their clothes. Maia slumped down into a chair beside Giles, Xander beside Willow, and Buffy stayed up. The look on their faces suggested the mission did not go as planned. With one look Willow knew this, and she didn't have to ask, though she did anyway.

"Did you find Jesse?"

"Yeah," Xander said, dejected.

"Was he dead?"

"Worse," Maia sighed.

Buffy finally sits, heavily.

"I'm sorry, Willow. We were too late. They were waiting for us," she said.

"At least you three are okay," Willow said reasonably.

"I don't like vampires," Xander said angrily. "I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good."

Maia breathed a small laugh and leaned back into her chair, cracking her neck.

"So, Rupert," Maia put a sarcastic strain on his name, "you got anything that can make this day worse?"

"How about the end of the world?" he said.

"I knew we could count on you."

"This is what we know. Some sixty years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, and not just to feed."

"He came 'cause this town is a mystical whoosit?" Buffy remarked. Maia rolled her eyes at Buffy's choice of words.

"Yes," Giles said. "The Spanish who first settled here called it Boca Del Infierno - roughly translated: Hellmouth. A sort of portal from this reality to the next. This vampire hoped to open it."

"Bring demons back."

"End of the world," Maia added.

"But he blew it," Willow said. "Or, I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed half the town. And him too - or a least there were no more vampire-type killings after."

"Opening dimensional portals is tricky business. Odds are he got himself stuck," Giles said. "Like a cork in a bottle."

"And this Harvest thing is to get him out?" Xander asked.

"It comes once a century, on this night. A Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free, and to open the portal. The minion is called the vessel, and he bears this symbol."

Giles showed them a sketch of the three-pointed star from an old book.

"So, I dust anyone sporting that look, and no Harvest," Buffy said.

"Simply put, yes," Giles said.

"Any clue where this little get-together is being held?"

"Well, there are a number of possibilities-"

"They're going to the Bronze," Xander interrupted.

"Are you sure?" Willow asked.

"It makes sense," Maia said. "Tasty young morsels all over the place."

"Besides, that's where Jesse's gonna be. Trust me."

"Then we need to get there," Giles said. "The sun will be down before long."

* * *

Buffy arrived late. For some reason, her mother decided it was a good time to give her a speech and ground her. Unfortunately, this meant that the door to the Bronze was locked and whatever was happening inside was currently inaccessible to them. Buffy ran up to the front door. anyway and tried it - it was locked.

"It's locked."

"We're too late," Giles said.

"Well, I didn't know I was gonna get grounded!"

"Can you break it down?" Xander asked, motioning to the door.

"Not this thing," Buffy said. "You guys try the back entrance. Maia and I'll find our own way."

"Right," Giles said, then turned to Xander and Willow. "Come on."

Buffy and Maia made their way around the building and found an open window one story up. They climbed skillfully and silently up the wall, until they reached the small balcony with the open window. Buffy opened the window quietly, an oblivious vampire before it. Maia and her slip inside, looking down. There were already two or three corpses on the ground, and the vampire with the star-mark on his forehead was asking for yet another.

"The vessel..." Buffy whispers.

The vampire turned, hearing this. He grabbed Buffy, dragging her up to he middle of the balcony to present her to Luke. But Buffy got a hold of herself and slipped out of the vampire's grasp and threw him off the balcony. With a loud thump, he landed right on his back in front of the stage. There was silence.

"Oh, sorry, were you in the middle of something?" Maia said.

"You!" the large vampire said.

"You didn't think I'd miss this, did you?" Buffy said.

"I hoped you'd come."

A vampire came at Buffy and Maia from the side, but Maia stopped and grabbed him, throwing him into the hookah pit below. As he scrambled back up, both girls, almost synchronized, flipped themselves over the ledge and landed onto to the pool table, Maia more gracefully, Buffy more steadily. A few pool cues were lying on the table - both girls did a hand spring and landed on the floor each holding a cue. Vampires rush at them from the side and, without looking, they both jam their cues into their hearts.

"Okay, Vessel-boy," Buffy taunted. "You want blood?"

"I want yours."

"Then come and get it."

The marked vampire discarded the person he was holding and smiled maliciously at Buffy. She and leaped at him, slamming her fist into his face. Maia was then occupied by vampire coming at her on all sides. She grabbed the pool cue from the vampire she'd stabbed, and he instantly turned to dust. She flipped it around and staked another. Maia then dodged another vampire's punch by twirling out of the way, her hair swirling with her, and stabbed the vamp in the back. Suddenly, people started to flood out of the Bronze and Maia noticed Xander, Willow and Giles shuffling people out of the building. However, a vampire grabbed Xander and he couldn't fight him off. Maia grabbed the nearest sharpest object, which ended up being a large piece of metal, and ran up at him. She caught his attention by yelling and when he turned, Maia swung the hunk of metal at his neck, decapitating him.

"Heads up."

Then Maia saw Giles struggling against a blonde vampire. Upon closer inspection, Maia recognized Darla. Made sense. If Angel was here, Darla was sure to follow.

"Oi, Darla!" she called.

The blonde looked up at her and smiled, but it was wiped off her face when Maia sent a kick to her chin, knocking her backwards. And then out of nowhere, Willow doused her with an entire bottle of holy water, and the vampire exit the club, clutching her pained face and screaming in agony. Maia helped Giles up and then Noticed Buffy struggling against the marked vampire.

"Hey! Moron!" the large vampire looked at her, distracted. "You forgot about sunrise!"

Thinking fast, she grabbed a piece of something and threw it at the windows. It was instantly shattered, and the vampire screamed, raising his arms as the warm light streamed in. But there was no burning - he stopped, puzzled.

"It's in about nine hours, you dickhead," Maia shouted, and at the same time, Buffy drove a stake in through his back.

He arched forward, in real agony this time. As the marked vampire realised the light from the window was merely a streetlight, shining in the darkness, he stumbled forward and faded to dust. Both Maia and Buffy turn to look at the remaining vampires which Xander, Willow and Giles were struggling with. They looked at them for a millisecond and then they bolted out the door.

Giles, Willow and Xander slowly come out to meet Maia and Buffy in the middle of the dance floor. They spent a few moments contemplating the carnage that surrounded them. Most of the patrons had left, though some remained, stunned and silent.

"I take it, it's over?" Giles asked.

"Did we win?" Willow asked, as well.

"Well, we averted the apocalypse," Maia said. "You gotta give us points for that."


End file.
